The Love That Builds Me

Chapter One: New places, New Friends And Some Not So Secret Kisses.

Relax. He doesn't mean to be so annoying. I mentally tell myself again as Brandon wraps his arm around me for the second fucking time today. I gently shrug his arm off and smile at him. Trying to ease the awkwardness in the messy living room we are currently occupying. The living room in question belongs to Brandon's friend Terri. Terri is charming, funny, very cute and sickeningly in love with Jenny. His long term girlfriend. Terri is also a refreshing break from just hanging out with Brandon, who has come to my house to hang out everyday this week. ugh.

I have been living in this town for three weeks. It feels like such along time. Possibly because I spend so much time alone in my new bedroom in the basement of our new "home". I even have my own bathroom. Expect for getting food I don't really leave my basement. My mother is already tired of me lurking around the house. But what am I supposed to do?? it's the middle of summer vacation and she moved our family half way across the fucking country away from everyone I know. Her solution is forcing me outside to try to socialize. Which is when I met Brandon. Who is sweet. And very clingy and quite. Don't get me wrong Brandon is great. I just think He LIKES me. A lot. Which for him seems to mean shyly checking me out and randomly putting his arm around me as a comforting flirty gesture (I think...). All of which I try very hard not to be annoyed by. But I can't seem to help it.

I like people who are bluntly honest. It's very simple really try to say what you mean and do what you say. That's all I ask. If you like me say so. Brandon's only way of showing interest in me seems to be seeing how many times in a day he can get away with putting his arm around me and shyly (but not that shyly) checking out my butt. It's incredibly frustrating. And a touch creepy. But Brandon is the first person to be nice to me. And I'm not ready to lose that yet (pathetic I know). I can't handle to be so completely alone again. Finally Terri comes into the room dressed and ready to go out. He heads towards the door and me and Brandon quickly follow. 

We walk around town trying to make Interesting conversation. Terri is good at this. Very good. He's funny in a natural easy way, playful and sexy. And Very good at making Brandon look good. He is the perfect wing man. I'm aware what he's doing. I'm just enjoying myself to much to care right now. Until a loud voice calls out from behind us.

"HEY SHIT BAGS!" 

We all turn around to see a boy running towards us. A cocky smirk plastered on his face. I am stunted not by his rude yelling but by the look of him. He is easily one of the most attractive people I've seen in town.  He has warm light brown skin and is medium height. He is skinny with thin  denim clad hips. His clothes are just tight enough to reveal lean muscle across this torso and arms. A tattoo winds around one of his forearms. He has thick shiny black hair covered mostly by a gray beanie. Big warm playful brown eyes with a fringe of long dark eyelashes a girl would kill for. He has High cheekbones and a strong jawline. Straight white teeth and full chapped lips. He is beautiful in the careless way.

"Hey. I'm Tony."

He say's nodding at me. I quick introduce myself and we all start moving again. It doesn't take long to see that Tony is friends with Terri and Brandon.  I am quickly forgotten as the conversation soon is mostly between the three boys. And apparently sex is on all their brains. Tony talks about his most resent sexual conquest (EW). Terri about what him and his girlfriends last time (more EW). And then they both begin to tease Brandon who I now learn is the Virgin of the bunch. Remembering I'm still here Tony turns to me and asks not seeming at all to care if it offends me.

"Have you had sex Christine?" 

The look on his face is  the most irritating mix of curious and smug.  I look him the the eyes and reply "No. I'm a Virgin."

Tony looks at me eyebrows raised and say's "really? I wouldn't have guessed that."

Confused and unsure if I should be annoyed or not, I ask "What the fuck does that mean?" 

Tony smirks at me and reply's "Nothing bad. You seem... different than most Virgins I know." 

What the hell does that mean? I want to ask but I don't bother. It's not a big deal to me at the moment being or not being a virgin. I'm 16. I have plenty of time thank you. I've dated and kissed people and ok yes I have done more then kiss people male and female.

While I'm lost in thought thinking about what Tony's comment could have meant I feel myself turn to stone as Brandon tries to put his arm around me for the 9th time today. From the corner of my eye I see Tony and Terri smirking  at each other. And I am instantly mad. I am not a toy for them to manipulate into being with Brandon. And don't like being treated as such by two smirking assholes. I'm livid and I know exactly what I'm going to do and how stupid it may be. But if Terri and Tony want something to smirk about. I'll give them something to smirk about.  

I stop in the middle of the street we are walking on, grab Brandon and kiss him. He is shocked but in a second begins to kiss me back. Its wet and sloppy. It feels like he is eating my face. We kiss for about a minute before breaking apart. Brandon looks insanely happy. Well at least one of us is. I try to keep my face from showing what I feel as I turn around. Tony and Terri both wear similar expressions of shock. I smirk at them. Tony smirks back. Asshole. I turn back to Brandon and try to smile.  

"That is a MUCH better way to get the my attention." I say. 

He smiles. I smile back. Tony comes over and claps Brandon on the back. Smirking. Again. 

"Not bad for a couple of virgins." 

I roll my eyes and keep walking. Brandon clings closely to my side. Great. Fuck I'm an idiot. My anger is fading fast and regret is slowly taking it's place. Soon we begin to hike through the woods and it isn't long before Tony turns to me and say's 

"You know if we are going to be friends we will probably kiss someday."

Terri smiles and say's "It's true."

Brandon just shrugs. And then surprises me by grabbing me and giving a me a rather forceful kiss. Sadly I can't say this one was any better then the last one.  so... most and sloppy. I break it off rather quickly and smile. Brandon is sweet. But I'm just not feeling it. I'll have to figure out a kind way to tell him later.  The other two boys clap. And we all continue walking. Conversation picks up again. Tony looks at me and winks. 

"It's gonna happen. Someday we'll kiss." Tony say's smirking cocky as ever. 

I stare him down. How can someone be so unbelievably cocky? There must be something under all this talk. I want to find out. I want to... so badly. I look away, And quicken my pace as much as I can while hiking and not falling over. Turning back to Tony I Declare as coldly as I can; 

"I don't think that's going to happen. Ever."

But in my head I can't help but add: 

No matter how much I might want it to...